Hi all, I'm new here, and thought I'd put my 2 cents in.

In my triage kit I carry a couple inch stack of sterile gauze, which is probably around 25 pieces. I also carry 30-40 homemade non-sterile bandages. The wound gets covered with a layer of sterile gauze, then the rest of the layers and compression is done with cheap homemade non-sterile bandages.


Homemade non-sterile bandages:

They are 4" wide, and 54" long. They are made from discount fabrics I got at Wal-mart for $1 a yard. Thats about 12 bandages for a $1.

I've cut a 2x4 down to 2.25" wide, by the original 1.5" thick.

I wrap the fabric around the board about 8-10 times, then run a razor knife down opposite sides of the board, this produces two stacks of bandages about 4" wide.

I roll these up and keep them in my triage pack. You can place a couple of rolls directly on the gauze layer, then wrap with another bandage. When you tie the bandage, the rolls place a lot of direct pressure on the wound, much like a blood stopper type bandage.

I try to stick to light blue and green fabrics, and stay away from reds and dark colors.